The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-09-28

of the farm at home. The young
womani it would appear, had been
rather ambitious in the time past, and
probably would not listen to his suit.
But l suppose Oliver felt that if he pre-
sented himself before her as d capitalist
in mild way she might be induced to
think differently of him and his offer.
But he never found her She had gone
up to higher things or down to lower,
and he looked in vain. And then he
had his money stolen from him one night
in lodging house, and he had to look
for work or starve. But he did not get
on. The hope that had held him up was
growing DINNER all the time. Finally
he fell ILL., Now he is very low. | doubt
if he lives through another day l have
been very greatly interested in the poor
fellow. The girls name was Hilary Les
ter. She worked first in wholesale
straw and flower house down town. All
trace of her disappeared after that. Yes,
it is really an unusually sad case"
Poor, poor fellow The girl was a
namesake of mine, thenN
Yes, indeed, Mrs. Lawton was clever /;
she deserved to succeed. She had
pushed her chair back little from the
lamp, but she dared not raise her fan to
screen her face from its rays lest the
action should betray the trembling of her
hand. She had the feeling a person
might have who suddenly saw chasm
yawning at his feet. She dared not
move; she scarcely breathed. She con-
trolled the muscles of her face, though
she felt with horror that her cheeks were
turning so cold and white that her visitor
must notice the change.
"Ah! Was your name Lester, tooF'
asked Mr.. McFarlane with little sur
prised smile at the coincidence.
"No-I was referring to her first name
Hilary"
"Ah, yes"
He began talking Of other things. Mrs.
Lawton, smiling a little, throwing in an
apt word now and then, sat still, while
the quivering in her nerves subsidized and
the pounding of her heart grew less and
| less. She had but one thought. Had he
observed anything2 Had he suspected the
cause of her agitationl 1t seemed to her
that it must be written all over her. face
that she was the Hilary Lester who had
worked in the flower house down town,
and who now denied the man she had
known since childhood, the farm
hand who had seen her going about
the menial duties of the miserable
house whose male members went
on bestial tear every few
weeks. But she need have had no APP
prehension. 1t could never have oc-
CURED TO Mr.. Vannest McFarlane to con-
ceive of any possible connection between
this refined, graceful, brilliant young
woman, who had evidently been superior
to her dry goods clerk husband, and the
country girl who had won the heart of
poor ignorant, faithful Oliver Payn.
* Il
When Mr.. McFarlane called again
(and the intervals between his calls were
growing more and more short he thought
it only a proof of the directness and
femininity of Mrs. Lawton's charming
nature that she should ask after his
protege and hope he was better.
81 don't know whether it should bC
called better or not, returned Mr. Nc
Farlane, pensively. "The poor fellow il
dead"
"Deadl"
eyes. He died last night"
A few months later the morning
papers of the metropolis announced tn,
marriage of Mr.. Vannest McFarlane t.
Mrs. Hilary Lawton. York Mercury